The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus.
An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body and a unit. The unit is attachable to and detachable from the apparatus main body. The apparatus main body includes a contact spring and a hollow cylinder. The contact spring comes in electrically conductive contact with a conductive member of the unit. The contact spring has a contact part and a helical spring part. The contact part has a circular ring shape and is formed by raising a portion of the helical spring part at one end. The helical spring part is disposed in the hollow cylinder and urges the contact part in a direction for causing the contact part to protrude from the hollow cylinder.
As the unit is attached to the apparatus main body, the conductive member comes in electrically conductive contact with the contact part. When a distance between the conductive member and the contact part in a direction parallel with an axis of the helical spring part is smaller than a specific value, the conductive member that has come in contact with the contact part pushes the contact part into the hollow cylinder. The helical spring part is then compressed by a distance corresponding to a distance by which the contact part is pushed into the hollow cylinder. As a result, the conductive member can come in electrically conductive contact with the contact part even if the distance between the conductive member and the contact part in the direction parallel with the axis of the helical spring part changes every time the unit is attached to the apparatus main body.
Where the distance between the conductive member and the contact part in the direction parallel with the axis of the helical spring part is likely to be large, a stroke of the helical spring part is increased. The stroke of the helical spring part refers to a length by which the helical spring part is compressed when the contact part is pushed into the hollow cylinder.